COMPLAINT!!!!

August 25, 2012

ATT UVerse Customer Service

RE: UVerse account under ****

Dear Sir or Madam:

Until about two weeks ago, I had internet and television services through ATT UVerse. I ran into some financial difficulties and found myself unable to pay all of my bills. My bill with ATT was approximately Four Hundred ($400.00) Dollars. I contacted each of my creditors to work out payment arrangements, including ATT. ALL of my creditors, EXCEPT for ATT, were willing to work with me. ATT, however, refused to work out payment arrangements and demanded that the ENTIRE balance be paid. When I stated that I could not afford to pay the entire balance at that time, I was told that my services would be cancelled. I then stated that I would pay my bill as soon as possible. I made that payment in full yesterday, August 24, 2012, which was about two weeks later. Never did I give any indication that I did not intend to pay my bill, and never did I authorize or give my consent for my account to be “cancelled.” As predicted, ATT did disconnect my services shortly after my telephone call attempting to make payment arrangements.

So, I have been without television and internet services for about two weeks. Yesterday, I contacted ATT and paid my entire balance over the telephone, using my debit card. ATT had no problem accepting my payment. When I inquired about the reconnection of my services, I was told that services would automatically be restored within the next two hours. I waited patiently, and two hours later, I still did not have my services back on. I then called ATT several times, and after I finally reached a customer service representative, my call was mysteriously disconnected. When I called back, the automated system told me that customer service reps were no longer available for the day, as it was now after 5 p.m. I waited until this morning and called ATT again. When I reached a customer service agent this time, I was told that my account had been “cancelled” and that services could not, therefore, be reconnected. I stated I had not cancelled my account or instructed anyone else to cancel it and that the last time I spoke with ATT, I said that I would pay my balance as soon as possible. The customer service rep told me that the account was cancelled and that I would have to set up a new account with ATT. I reluctantly agreed to do this. Then, the agent told me that ATT had discovered an old cell phone bill of mine wherein I owed ATT Eight Hundred ($800.00) Dollars and that I would have to pay that amount before a new account could be set up for me. I JUST paid ATT FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS! And now ATT is asking for EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS more?!?

Firstly, until two weeks ago, I had an EXISTING UVerse account with ATT. ATT never mentioned any old bill to me when that account was originally opened, nor at any time during the ENTIRE time that I had my current account. However, somehow ATT has come up with this old bill and tells me that I have to pay this bill before ATT can open a NEW account for me, which I NEVER wanted. I had requested that my CURRENT account be reinstated. Secondly, this old cell phone bill has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with my CURRENT account. Thirdly, the old bill was filed under my BANKRUPTCY, and therefore, I am NOT liable. Fourthly, ATT TOLD me that my services would be reinstated after I paid my balance of Four Hundred ($400.00) Dollars, which I did YESTERDAY. ATT deliberately LIED to me and used this deception in order to get my payment under FALSE PRETENSES.

When I informed ATT this morning that the old bill was under bankruptcy, I was told that the bankruptcy department was closed and would not be back open until Monday and that I would have to wait until Monday and speak with someone in the bankruptcy department and then MAYBE I could have a NEW account opened. I do not WANT a new account. I want my CURRENT account reinstated. I KNOW that SOMEONE SOMEWHERE within the ATT company has the authority and the ability to do this, and I INSIST that it be done and be done IMMEDIATELY. It is not my FAULT that ATT does not know what it is doing!! And I am not jumping through any more hoops for ATT. Further, due to the EXTREME DURESS that I am now under due to ATT’s lies and deception in accepting my payment under false pretenses and then having the audacity to demand ANOTHER Eight Hundred ($800.00) Dollars, I demand that my CURRENT account be reinstated WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL CHARGES OR FEES, of which ATT is so fond of tacking on. If ATT is going to keep up the pretense of “not being able” to reinstate my CURRENT account, then I demand the immediate return of the Four Hundred ($400.00) Dollar payment that I just made, because ATT used fraud and misrepresentation in order to gain this amount.

ATT has the most horrible customer service ever. It takes at LEAST 30 minutes to even reach a live person. There is NO complaint department. There is no way listed on the website to even contact ATT, except for the same telephone number wherein you have to talk to a computer for 30 minutes. The customer service representatives are either ignorant or deliberately unwilling to assist customers properly.

I will anticipate a PROMPT response from someone within the ATT company who KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING. I can be reached at any time at ****

Re: COMPLAINT!!!!

So let me see if I've got this right. You blew off the last 800 bucks you owed them by declaring bankruptcy, and what, if they told you they were going to cancel your service you were gonna try and skip out on another 400 bucks? Sounds like you were lucky to get Uverse in the first place.

__________________________________________________________How can you be in two places at once, when your not anywhere at all?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I really want to become a procrastinator, but I keep putting it off.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------There are three kinds of people, those that can count, and those that can't.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------“Our great democracies still tend to think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man, and our politicians take advantage of this prejudice by pretending to be even more stupid than nature has made them." :Bertrand Russell

Re: COMPLAINT!!!!

First off this is a customer forum. When I say customer we all pay our bills. If I understand you correctly you stiffed them on 800.00 and are mad because they would not let you stiff them on another 400.00. If you just went ahead and paid the 400.00 they would never have found the 800.00. You can demand all you want but AT&T has the right to disconnect your service if you are not paying for it. Since service keeps adding each month of cause they will not let you make a payment plan and keep your service. Just like a credit card would not let you make a payment plan and continue to allow you to charge on your account. I do not know how your bill got to 400.00 unless they let it slide for a few months. You can try alex as suggested but do not expect AT&T to reinstate your services without a deposit at the very lease. You can not expect to get service for free and they have the right to deny you service.

Re: COMPLAINT!!!!

Joe,

Let me get this right...you think I filed a past bankruptcy JUST to get rid of an $800 bill??? I guess you've never gotten into financial difficulties or found yourself out of a job. not that I should have to justify my reasons for filing bankruptcy to you. Guess I'm just a middle classer With three children trying to make ends meet in the worst economic times since the Great Depression. With job opportunities at an all time low and unemployment at an all time high, and the real estate market crash, it is little wonder that one may be forced into bankruptcy. Everyone I know is struggling, any many have been forced to file bankruptcy. How fortunate for you that you are above the rest of us who work hard for little pay while inflation drives up the prices of even the most basic necessities, I.e. gas, food. Perhaps you did not understand my complaint, but I ALREADY paid AT&T the $400 and I still have no services. In creating my current account, AT&T never said anything to me about any old bill and started my service with no problem. But now, AFTER I have paid in full, instead of reconnecting my service as promised, AT&T has dug up a cell phone bill from 3 yrs ago and is demanding that I now pay an additional $800. That debt was discharged under federal bankruptcy law, and I am no longer liable for it. Oh, by the way, they say I only have to pay the $800 if they start a NEW account for me, but I do NOT if they reinstate my CURRENT one. How much sense does that make?

Re: COMPLAINT!!!!

A debt filed under bankruptcy is DISCHARGED by the federal bankruptcy laws of the United States Bankruptcy Court, and the filer is NO longer liable for said debt. The creditor may NOT continue to try to collect said debt after the bankruptcy is discharged.

I don't know why this is misunderstood, but I HAVE paid them $400 ALREADY. They instructed me that if I did is, my service would be restored within 2hours. It was not.

When I asked them to work with me on the payments, my offer was to pay $200 down and another $200 in 2 weeks. It was not to "keep running up charges" while I made some insignificant monthly payment on a running balance. Every one of my other creditors has worked with me. All but AT&T.

I am NOT trying to get out of paying the $400. They already have that. I just want them to follow through and reconnect my services, as they said they would, since I now have a ZERO balance. If they are not going to do that, then they LIED to me about reconnecting services. That is misrepresentation.

Re: COMPLAINT!!!!

And for the record I have been an AT&T "customer" for years. I DO pay my bills, just as you do and resent any implications that I do not. I am NOT trying to get free service or something for nothing, as I have ALREADY PAID the $400. Already paid. Zero balance owed. Is that clear?

Re: COMPLAINT!!!!

I see that you are very frustrated in this matter. In my experience a situation like this may take a while to be resolved. Was the debt paid to a collection agency or att? If indeed it was a collection agency contact them and have them do a conference call with a att agent to resolve this matter. If payment was made directly to att contact a sales rep and explain what has occured. You can also pm Jameliah on this site as well she is a great big help.

Re: COMPLAINT!!!!

mrsdawnjohnsonveryangry wrote:

Joe,

Let me get this right...you think I filed a past bankruptcy JUST to get rid of an $800 bill??? I guess you've never gotten into financial difficulties or found yourself out of a job. not that I should have to justify my reasons for filing bankruptcy to you. Guess I'm just a middle classer With three children trying to make ends meet in the worst economic times since the Great Depression. With job opportunities at an all time low and unemployment at an all time high, and the real estate market crash, it is little wonder that one may be forced into bankruptcy. Everyone I know is struggling, any many have been forced to file bankruptcy. How fortunate for you that you are above the rest of us who work hard for little pay while inflation drives up the prices of even the most basic necessities, I.e. gas, food. Perhaps you did not understand my complaint, but I ALREADY paid AT&T the $400 and I still have no services. In creating my current account, AT&T never said anything to me about any old bill and started my service with no problem. But now, AFTER I have paid in full, instead of reconnecting my service as promised, AT&T has dug up a cell phone bill from 3 yrs ago and is demanding that I now pay an additional $800. That debt was discharged under federal bankruptcy law, and I am no longer liable for it. Oh, by the way, they say I only have to pay the $800 if they start a NEW account for me, but I do NOT if they reinstate my CURRENT one. How much sense does that make?

I demand that my CURRENT account be reinstated WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL CHARGES OR FEES, of which ATT is so fond of tacking on. If ATT is going to keep up the pretense of “not being able” to reinstate my CURRENT account, then I demand the immediate return of the Four Hundred ($400.00) Dollar payment that I just made, because ATT used fraud and misrepresentation in order to gain this amount.

Um , yah you paid them 400 bucks, for services they had already provided you, and you have the nerve to demand it back because they wont continue to provide you services. Try reading the Terms of Service, they are well within their rights.

As well I believe a creditor may infact reinstate a debt after bankruptcy if you were not in default with them before your bankruptcy. In other words, if you were current with AT&T when you filed, and the only reason you did not pay them was because you filed, they may be within their rights to reinstate your previous bill.

As well they could have charged you close to $500 as a non-refundable security deposit before they ever gave you Uverse due to your recent bankruptcy.

As far as saying I don't understand working for a living and struggling to get by, I worked for more than 30 years and from disease became disabled so now I have to make do with a quarter of what I used to earn. In fact you should be glad you can still consider yourself a "middle classer".

$400 dollars sound like you were paying for a substantial TV package with internet and phone, when, if you were struggling, phone service would have sufficed. Internet is free at your local library, and radio and over the air TV is also free.

__________________________________________________________How can you be in two places at once, when your not anywhere at all?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I really want to become a procrastinator, but I keep putting it off.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------There are three kinds of people, those that can count, and those that can't.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------“Our great democracies still tend to think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man, and our politicians take advantage of this prejudice by pretending to be even more stupid than nature has made them." :Bertrand Russell

Re: COMPLAINT!!!!

I am sorry that you are in the situation you are in. I can only imagine how hard it must be.

Whenever you establish a new account (ATT or not), and this is what ATT has decided to do according to you, they will run your credit report and all the good and the bad of your credit history will come out unfortunately, hence the discovery of your old $800.00 debt. The previous ATT reps you have spoken to would not have known this until the report was run which is why this was never mentioned before your payment. And in the process of establishing a new account, and it is discovered that you don't have that good of a credit, then utility companies ask for deposit.

As someone here on this board said, the $400.00 payment was for services you have already received. ATT has every right to it. And I think, just like any other debt, when you missed paying on time and missed the extended grace period after, it automatically goes in line for cancellation whether you requested this or not.

Perhaps it is a good thing you no longer have this services...one less monthly bill to worry about. This is one of the first thing to go (for me) if I were in the same financial situation. I would even cancel this on my own.

Re: COMPLAINT!!!!

Well said Bong!! Nice post.

"If you find this post helpful and it solved your issue please mark it as a solution. This will help other forum members locate it and will also let everyone know that it corrected your problem. If they have the same issue they will know how to solve theirs"

*The views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

Re: COMPLAINT!!!!

As I state, I WAS in financialdifficulty but now I am in a position to catch up And remain current.

As for my bankruptcy, AT&T was specifically listed as a creditor for the $800 cell phone bill and thus discharged under federal bankruptcy law. Therefore, they cannot attempt to collect a debt that was discharged under bankruptcy.

They ran a credit check when I opened my current account. There was no mention at that time of any old bills.

Yes, I paid the $400 for services received. BUT, when I made that payment it was under the agreement that my services would be reconnected. AND, I stayed in contact with AT&T before,during, and after my payment. Remember that initially, I asked them to allow me to pay $ 200 on the bill and another $200 two weeks later. This they refused to do.

Yes, they could have asked for a deposit, but that should have been done at the time they set up my current account, not now when I already had services with them.

If they don't wish pro continue providing services, then I can select anothprovider dear. I just thought it would be easier to continue with AT&T since I have their equipment already.

Adoor using the library's Internet, I have 3 sons in school, and Internet is required to do homework on a daily basis. Going

Re: COMPLAINT!!!!

...library every day is not feasible. I have to work. I don't care that much about the tv, but it is part of my services. I do not haeve a home phone, only a cell. So I have already cut expenses as much as possible.